A tiny region deep within the brain has surprised scientists by revealing a remarkably sophisticated communication system. Previously thought to broadcast the same chemical signal throughout the brain, this region actually sends targeted messages that help control learning, attention, and behavior, according to new research in mice. Scientists discover a hidden messaging system deep inside the brain.
About 100 fully reconstructed neurons are superimposed. Dorsal neurons (purple) project to the front of the brain, ventral (yellow) neurons project to the back. This region, called the locus coeruleus (LC), gets its name from the Latin words for "blue place." Although it contains only a small fraction of the brain’s neurons, it produces norepinephrine (NE), a chemical messenger that helps regulate attention, learning, heart rate, and the body’s reactions to stress and excitement.
Scientists have long assumed that the LC operates like a loudspeaker, sending essentially the same norepinephrine signal across the brain. A new study published in Nature challenges that understanding. Using brain imaging, recordings of neural activity, genetic techniques, and behavioral experiments in mice, researchers at the Allen Institute discovered that the LC communicates through several distinct pathways.
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